Listed: Best SA country bakeries you must visit on your road trip
We asked you which SA country bakery you never miss on a roadtrip, and what you love there ... now here’s the top 10.
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Everyone knows this road-trip tradition: stop off at the local bakery when you drive past.
In light of the Easter weekend coming up, a lot of families will hit the road, hankering for a good pie, pasty, roll or pastry.
So we’ve done the work and found some of SA’s top regional bakeries you must check out on your road trip. And let us know your favourites in the comments.
Litl Mo’s Bakery and Cafe
Location: 6/8 Main Street, Kapunda
Ever known a place where the doughnuts are the size of dinner plates? Now you do.
Meet Litl Mo’s Bakery, tucked up in the small town of Kapunda.
Owners Deb and Brendan Moten have owned the bakery for 20 years and said their most popular items are the huge doughnuts – as well as their pies.
“The big doughnuts started after a customer came in and asked for a doughnut cake for her kid’s birthday, and we’ve been doing them ever since,” Mrs Moten said.
“We make all sorts of flavours like chocolate, strawberry, caramel, and rocky road.”
The dinnerplate-size doughnuts are made to order, but the shop also have large doughnuts ready every day.
“They are a lot harder to make than a normal doughnut, but people seem to love them,” Mr Moten said.
“People also love our pies as we use country-killed meat.”
The bakery makes about 50 to 60 doughnuts every weekday, rising to 80 to 100 at weekends - and are lucky have any left.
Litl Mo’s also make a Sidney Kidman pie, named after ‘The Cattle King’ who lived in Kapunda from the 1880s to 1921.
The pie is hearty, filled with chunks of steak and veggies. Other popular pie offerings from Litl Mo’s include the chicken parmi pie, butter chicken pie and their pie of the week.
As well as tourists passing through to try their delicious baked goods, Mrs Moten said sometimes even celebs pop in for a bite.
“We’ve had the Port Power team come in, travel guides from the Travel Guides show, and Poh,” Mrs Moten said.
So, what are you waiting for? Don’t forget to hit up Litl Mo’s on your next road trip up north and order ahead for a taste of their monster doughnuts.
Mylor Bakery
Selling location: Organic Market and Cafe, 5 Druid Ave, Stirling
Mylor Bakery is something of an exclusive club for bread lovers. With no shopfront, owner Shannon Rohland sets up every Saturday at The Organic Market and Cafe in Stirling from 8.30am to 1pm.
The bakery is famous for its organic bread, all handmade by Mr Rohland. Popular flavours include olive, pumpkin, fruit and rye.
“My bread is sought out by those people who want a yummy and healthy loaf of bread … people travel from places like Victor Harbor and Elizabeth just to grab a loaf,” Mr Rohland said.
Port Elliot Bakery
Location: 31 North Terrace, Port Elliot
Everyone knows Port Elliot Bakery, famous for their huge and delectable doughnuts of the month. Part-owner Sharon Horrocks said she always grew up in bakeries and opened up the business with her family in 1989.
Her daughter Chelsea started the trend of doughnut of the month five years ago, which has kept visitors lining all down the street of the bakery in hopes to get their hands on one - often for a long time in the sun.
“Being near Horseshoe Bay, we are quite popular,” Mrs Horrocks said. “We always like to keep things fresh.”
The family-owned-and-operated bakery is beloved by locals and visitors. The bakery is closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday but open Easter Saturday and Sunday.
And for a sneak peak, Mrs Horrocks said their Easter doughnut will be a chocolate overload.
Barmera Bakery
Location: 6 Barwell Ave, Barmera
The pasties and sourdough bread are what keeps people hooked on Barmera Bakery.
Angus Boase has been part of the bakery since he was just 12 years old, when his parents Peter and Sheona Boase bought the bakery back in 1978.
“We usually sell out of our meat and veg pasties, they are really popular going into winter,” Mr Boase said.
Barmera Bakery has a sourdough starter that’s more than 100 years old and makes the perfect loaf. People visiting the Riverland better be sure to stop at Barmera Bakery – which wasn’t forced to close by flooding, but noticed a slow tourism season this year.
“The tourist season over Christmas was really slow, but we are really hoping we will be busy over Easter and school holidays,” Mr Boase said.
Elliott’s Bakery Streaky Bay
Location: 30 Alfred Terrace, Streaky Bay
Tucked away in Streaky Bay is hidden gem Elliott’s Bakery, run by husband and wife team Dale and Georgina Elliott.
The seaside spot is well known for their honey log, steak and pepper pies, vanilla slices as well as their cheese, tomato and bacon sausage rolls.
The couple took ownership over the bakery 17 years ago and made it their own.
Over Easter, Mr Elliott said they are likely to sell out of hot cross buns, so make sure you get in quick for all your Easter fodder.
Pick Ave Bakery
Location: 34 Pick Ave, Mount Gambier
With 23 years under his belt as owner of Pick Ave Bakery, Darren Murrel said the reason to their success is their special ingredient – care.
“People love us because we are consistent and reliable, and of course our secret ingredient,” he said.
The bakery is famous for their pastries — pies, cheese pasties, cheese tarts and vanilla slices. While you’re passing through why not stop at Pick Ave for lunch or a sweet treat.
Two Wells Bakery
Location: 76 Old Port Wakefield Rd, Two Wells
Owners Haydn and Pauline Routley have been manning Two Wells Bakery since 2010 and said the most popular items on the menu are the lambshank pie and the Two Wells pie.
The bakery opens from the wee hours of the morning, at 5.30am, so it’s the perfect spot to stop off if you’ve had an early start.
“We get through 30 kilos of coffee a week, that’s about 3000 coffees,” Mr Routley said.
A fan of numbers, Mr Routley said the bakery serve about one person per 55 seconds and sell about 4000 items a day.
D’Estrees Bakery
Kingscote market, Kangaroo Island
Naomi O’Donnell saw a much-needed gap to fill for freshly made bread in Kangaroo Island and took it upon herself to start her own business.
Local businesses, customers and tourists get in touch with Ms O’Donnell every week to make their freshly baked sourdough orders.
“I am a solo parent of two daughters and wanted to work out a way to earn an income and be there for them,” Ms O’Donnell said.
“I had no idea about baking until I did a short course on it, then I decided to open the bakery and somehow it worked.”
You can find Ms O’Donnell’s famous sourdough bread, croissants and pastries twice a month at the Kingscote market, or you can hit up her socials or mobile and make an order ahead of your travels.
Lobethal Bakery
Location: 80 Main Street, Lobethal
With German roots spanning more than 40 years, it’s no surprise the beloved Lobethal Bakery is most known for its traditional pretzels and apple strudel.
Barista Ester Ziegelmann said tourists come up just for a taste of their proper German grub.
“People love the handmade pretzels, which we do also provide to businesses in Handorf,” she said.
“The apple strudels are made using local apples from Lenswood Apple orchard, and we use as many locals businesses as we can.”
As well as their German delights, the bakery also sell more than 100 fresh salad rolls a day, so don’t forget to get a takeaway bag for your trip.
OK Pie Shop
Location: 66 Commercial Street West, Mount Gambier
Despite the name, the OK Pie Shop is anything but just ‘OK’.
Owners Allison and Dewain Barrett said the bakery has been operating for about 100 years, still using those recipes today.
OK Pie Shop are well known for its baked cheese tarts, which Mrs Barrett said they ship around Australia.
“People often buy them by the dozen and by lunchtime they are all gone,” she said.
Mrs Barrett said Attorney-General of South Australia, Kyam Maher is a frequent patron of the bakery.
The bakery is open Monday to Saturday, so better get in quick to try an iconic baked cheese tart before they sell out.
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